Protests in US against Pak's state policy on terrorism

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Last Updated: Sun, Mar 17, 2019 16:53 hrs

[USA], Mar 17 (ANI): A group led by Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD) protested here on Saturday against Pakistan's state policy on terrorism, saying it has "penetrated deep" into India and is spreading its tentacles globally.

The protestors also raised the issue of illegal occupation of parts of Kashmir by Pakistan and made a strong demand for the return of these areas to India, their legal owner.

They raised anti-Pakistan slogans and put up banners like "Global terrorist state - Pakistan", "Pakistan - Stop using terrorism as your state policy ", "Kashmir is an integral part of India - stop meddling".

They said Pakistan's state policy on terrorism has "penerated deep into India and (is) spreading its tentacles globally".

Munni Mohan from GKPD, which organised the protest along with Friends of India Society International, said, "Jammu and Kashmir became part of India through a legal document as an instrument of accession as was followed by other princely states in India.", according to a press release.

She said that the illegal occupation of parts of Kashmir by Pakistan is the only unresolved agenda about Kashmir and that those areas need to be returned to their legal owner, India".

Mohan talked about participation of residents in Jammu and Kashmir in the "vibrant democracy" which sees them overwhelmingly participating and choosing their elected government in the state.

"(People of) Jammu and Ladakh overwhelmingly claim to be proud Indians...The current unrest in the Valley is happening in small pockets of Kashmir at due to the cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan," Mohan said.

There was also heavy sloganeering against Pakistan during the protest. "Terror hub, terror hub - Pakistan, Pakistan", "Down with Pakistan", "Pakistan an architect of genocide and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs" and "Pakistan - take care of your minorities" were a few of the slogans the protesters were heard using.

Speaking at a press conference, Achalesh Amar, the Coordinator of Houston's Friends of India Society International, highlighted the international ramifications of terror and the role of Pakistan in exporting terror to the world, which threatens the "world" civil society.

He referred to the role of Pakistan in providing shelter to Al Qaeda leaders and safe haven and sanctuaries to dreaded terrorists for them to regroup and export terror machinery to other parts of the globe after the fall of Afghanistan's Taliban government in 2001.

He also recalled how Osama Bin Laden, an architect of the 9/11 attacks in the US, was found well protected in a garrison city of Pakistan.

Amar also said there was a "Pakistani connect" between the London bombing and terror shooting at San Bernardino, California, according to the release.

Veena Ambardar from GKPD talked about the proxy war unleashed by Pakistan on India under the Zia Doctrine in 1988 having the code word "Operation Tupac". She said this operation encouraged cross-border terrorism, guerilla warfare in India that was fully supported and led by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and "Army regulars".

"She made a reference to Kargil, India where the nexus between Pakistan-sponsored jihadis and ISI and Army regulars was exposed at an international level," the release said.

The proxy war saw India losing more than "6000 security personnel", Ambardar said.

More than "400,000 members" of peace-loving Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs were ethnically cleansed by Pakistan and are forced to live as refugees in India, the release said while referring to her speech. (ANI)